Letter of Support

WATER SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE OF WNC

LETTER OF SUPPORT

The availability of clean, affordable water for all is a pressing issue facing Western North Carolina (WNC) and the rest of the world. Transition Asheville and WaterLinks, PLLC, are introducing the Water Sustainability Initiative of WNC to encourage residents to implement methods for managing rain water that are available, cheap, and easy to apply, and that help address problems from both flood and drought conditions. We intend to show property owners how to capture and store enough rain water onsite, in the ground and with tanks and plants, to minimize flooding and drought-proof their properties. Plus, by staying near where it falls, water remains available for keeping the streams full, the air cool, and the soils moist.

We come to you now seeking support so that we can move together as a community to find solutions to water-related concerns. Besides familiarizing WNC with many techniques proven to be effective in dry areas for centuries, the Water Sustainability Initiative proposes policies such as demonstration projects and information signs at public settings, the identification of watershed sub-basins (the natural boundaries that define shared water resources), and incentives to help minimize any costs incurred for water sustainability features. We have been encouraged to demonstrate widespread awareness, interest, and enthusiasm for our practices and policies, and want you to help meet that need.

The water sustainability methods can be roughly divided into Low-Tech (methods such as berms-and-swales, infiltration basins, check dams, and diversion swales that are cheap, easy, and available), Mid-Tech (methods such as tanks, gutters, and French drains that you can do if you are handy, but companies also exist to do them for you), and High-Tech (methods such as terracing, gray water systems, and ponds for which you may need a professional). The Water Sustainability Initiative emphasizes the Low-Tech methods to encourage their widespread use and to encourage neighbors to work as a community to use the methods most effectively. We believe that because WNC receives a lot of rain even during droughts, we can demonstrate the power of these methods to provide clean affordable water for all.

The approach is based on water storage and incremental recharge. With an inch of rain on an acre of land providing over 27,000 gallons of free water, diversifying the water sources we use can also protect us from rising water prices and the cost of repairing infrastructure. We are asking that your group demonstrate your support by signing this letter (or writing one of your own) and by posting the Project Summary and Petition in your break room or by your mail boxes to give individuals within your group an opportunity to sign our petition. If appropriate, we would also like to give our presentation to your employees or members. If you would like to send a donation, you can do that: